Automatic railway-gate.



PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904..

J.A WALTHER. AUTOMATIC RAILWAY GATE APPLIoATIoN ripnn '11111.14. ma.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No MODEL.

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AIEPLIUATION II-LBD HAR. 14. 1903.

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vPATENTEI)JUNE 14, 19M.'

J. lWALTHTR. .AUTOMATIC lRAILWAY GATE. APPLICATION FILED MAB.. 14. 1903.

` no MODEL.

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PATBNTED JUNE 14, 1904.

J. WALTHLR.y

AUTOMATIG RAILWAY GATE.

APPLIOATION FILEDVKAB. 14. 1903.

No Mo'nnL.

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Attorneys UNITED STATES Patented June 14, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB IVALTHER, OF WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF THREE-FOURTHSTO ANDREW WALTHER, THOMAS JAMES HARPER, AND JAMES VILLOUGHBY, OFWINNIPEG, lCANADA.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,457, dated June 14,1904.

Application filed March 14, 1903.

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JACOB WALTHER, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing in the city of Vinnipeg, county of Selkirk, Provinceof Manitoba, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Automatic Railway-Gates; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

At railway-crossings it frequently happens that accidents occur onaccount of the negligence or inefliciency of the watchman or gateman. v

This invention relates to the gates such as ai'e usually employed atrailway-crossings; and a principal object has been to provide a gatewhich shall be automatically operated by the trains. f

A further object has been to construct the gate so that it will operatenot only as a safeguard to prevent persons crossing' the track when atrain is approaching, but is adapted so that it will constitute in acertain position a cattle-guard adapted to prevent cattle when drivenacross the track from straying along the track.

The gate normally occupiesa position transversely of the rails, andthroughout'this specilication this position will he referred to as theopen position for the gate, considering the gate from the point of viewof a person crossing the tracks.

The invention consists in a certain arrangement and combination of partsto be more fully described hereinafter and definitely set forth in theclaims. Y

In the drawings whichfully illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a planView showing the same largely diagrammatically, this figure being brokenaway, as will be readily understood. Fig.v 2 represents, also in planand upon an. enlarged scale, the principal .portion of thegate-operating mechanism and is partly in section for the purpose ofgreater clearness. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, a part of Serial No.147,871. (No model.)

`tion of the mechanism in plan, a portion being in section, asindicated, so as to show substantially the same mechanism which is shownin Fig. 5, displaying its method of connection with the other mechanism.Fig. 7 is a crosssection of Fig. 6, taken substantially on the 1 line 77, while Fig. 8 represents a longitudinal section taken upon this sameligure along the line 8 8. Fig. 9 is a section 11i a plane at rightangles to the track and passing through the gate-posts shown at theright of Fig; 2 and showing the arrangement of the mechanism forswinging the gate. Fig. l() is a vertical section through Fig. 4,substantially on the line l0 l0.

The same numerals of reference denote like parts in all the figures ofthe drawings.

Before proceeding to a detailed description of the parts it may be saidthat in its preferred form the gate comprises four horizontal doors orbars pivotally moun ted upon posts arranged at the corners of a square.As will appear hereinafter, these guards are adapted to swing all inunison. As shown in Fig. l, the two guards on the same side of the trackcoperate to form a barrier before the railway-crossing. These guards,however, may swing in the manner described, so that they are disposedacross the track, in which latter position each guard cooperates withthe guard lying opposite it on the other side of the track, as will bereadily understood. Y It should be understood that the gate is swungopen or closed by the force of a spring, the mechanism being arrangedfor extending these springs and maintaining them extended untilreleased, which release is operated by the passing of a train. Themechanism employed naturally divides itself into three groups ofmechanism. The h'rst group may be ealledthe contact mechanism, itsfunction being to be operated by the passing of a train to set certainother mechanism in operation. The second group may be called theactuating mechanism. This group includes the springs referred to foroperating the gate and parts incident to their use or connected withthem. The third group forms more properly a part of the gate, and forthis reason the last group of mechanism will be referred to as the gatemechanism.

Referring to the parts by numerals, 1 1l 1 1" indicate the fourgate-posts, cach of which is rotatably mounted upon a suitable stepbearing or block 2 and which maybe suitably braced at the top by ties orbraces 3. Upon each of these posts is mounted a builtup bar or frame 4,which is adapted to be swung horizontally when the post is rotated, andthey constitute the guards, as aforesaid. Near the foot one pair ofthese posts, which lie at opposite points on either side of the track,are provided with spiders 5, which comprise simply four radial armsdisposed at right angles to each other, as indicated. The other pair ofposts is provided with oppositely-extending radial arms 6, there being,however, only two of these upon cach post. These arms 5 and 6 areconnected by tie-rods 7, which cross between the posts, as indicated,connecting with links 8 at their extremities. From this construction itwill appear that if any post were rotated it would communicate itsmotion to its companion post upon the same side of the track, but in anopposite direction. That pair of arms 5 which is not in connection withthe links 8 is connected with other mechanism adapted to rotate thepost, wherefore the guard which it carries may be thrown to its otherposition, transmitting its movement to its companion through themechanism described. For this purpose double bell-crank levers 9 and 10are employed adapted to move in a horizontal plane. The bell-crank lever9 comprises the oppositelyextending arms 11 and 12, the former of whichconnects, by means of the links 13, 14, and 15, with an arm 5, carriedby the post 1". The arm 12 connects, by means of the links 16, 17, and18, with an arm 5 of the post 1". The third arm 19 of the bell-cranklever 9 connects, by means of a link 20, with a draw-bar 21, whichdraw-bar is adapted to be actuated by the actuating mechanism, asaforesaid, so that it controls the position of the bell-crank lever 9.1t should be observed that the links 15 and 18 and the links connected,respectively, with them are so arranged that a movement of the draw-bar21 will be transmitted to the posts 1 and 1, so that they would rotatein opposite directions. 1t may be stated, however, that this bell-cranklever 9 operates only to move the gate to one position, a lever 10 beingadopted for moving the gate to its opposite position. In each case theforce which is applied is that of tension. The bell-crank lever 10 iscontrolled by a draw-bar 22, and links 23, 24k, and 25 connect thebell-crank 1() with the post 1, as indicated. A tie-bar 26 and links 27and 28 afford means for connecting this same bell-crank lever 10 withthe post 1). From this arrangement it will appear that if a pull be madeupon the draw-bar 22 the movement of the bell-crank lever 10 Would betransmitted to the posts 1 1" and operate to rotate them in oppositedirections. Viewing the mechanism as shown in Fig. 2, it will appearthat if a pull were exerted upon the draw-bar 21 the gate would be swungfrom the position in which it is shown, so that it could assume aposition which we call the open position, wherein the guards 4; aredisposed transversely of the track, and it should appear that when theyare in this latter position a pull upon the draw-bar 22 would operate toreturn-them to the position in which they are shown. This mechanism forconnecting the gates or guards so that they may be actuated by thedraw-bars 21 and 22 is inclosed, as indicated, in a suitable box orcasing 29, surmounted by a proper platform or floor 30, over whichvehicles or persons pass in crossing the rails 31.

Referring now to the mechanism for actuating the gate, which mechanismis most clearly shown in connection with Figs. 3, s, 5, 6, and 10, thismechanism is carried within a suitable box or casing 32. There areprovided springs 33 and 34, preferably helical springs, as indicated,and disposed substantially horizontally. At one extremity they attach,respectively, to catch -bars 35 36, and these catch-bars pass,respectively, through openings 37 and 38, formed in certainlockingplates 39 and 40, as indicated. It will appear that theselocking-plates 39 and 40 are guided vertically' and drawn upwardly bysprings 111, and upon their lower edges each of the catchbars 35 36 isprovided with a notch or catch 42. From this construction it will appearthat if either of the catch-bars 35 36 were pulled so as to extend itsspring sufficiently its notch or catch 42 could be engaged by itscorresponding locking-plate, so that eitherof the springs 33 or 34 couldbe maintained extended. ln the figures the spring 33 is shown soextended. It should be understood that that these springs 33 34 supplythe force for operating the gate, one of them always being extended,while the other is relaxed. For this purpose each of the catch-bars hassecui'ed to it a small bracket 13, which brackets connect, by means ofsmall chains 4M, respectively, with the draw-bars 21 22, to whichreference has already been made. From the arrangement described itfollows that if the spring 33 were suddenly released it would operate toopen the gate, and if the spring 34 were in tensionandsuddenlyreleaseditwould operate to close. the gate, and it willappear as the description progresses that the passing IIO of a trainautomatically releases whichever of these springs is in tension, so thatthe gate may be returned thereby. Proceeding furthei` to describe themechanism immediately connected with the springs 33 and 84,it willappear that links 45 attach, respectively, to the extremities of thecatch-bars 35 36, which catch-bars are offset, as indicated at 46. Theselinks 45 are attached tolevers 47, which swing in a vertical plane aboutthe pivot-point 48, and their opposite extremities connect with links 49for the purpose which will appear hereinafter. It should appear that thelinks 45 connect with the levers 47 substantially at their middlepoints, the outer extremities of the links 45 being connected withpull-rods 50 51, respectively, and these pull-rods 50 and 51 are adaptedto be actuated by the contact mechanism, which will be described later.Before indicating that, however, the mechanism will be described whicheffects the releasing ot' either of the springs 38 34. To accomplishthis, there are provided substantially beneath the locking-plates 39'and 40 two bell-crank levers 52 53, the upper arms of which areconnected, as indicated, with the upper arms otl the levers 47 by meansot' links 54 and chains 55, and it will be observed from an inspectionot' Fig. 5 that these links 54 extend so as to cross each other, so thatone of the levers 47 which connects with the catch-bar 36 may actuatethe locking-plate 39, being' adapted to actuate this locking-platebecause the lower extremity thereof is connected with the lower arm ofthe bell-crank lever 52 by means of a chain 56. A similar chain 57connects the lockingplate 40 with the bell-crank lever 53, so that it'either of the pull-bars 50 or 51 is actuated it will operate not only toextend and lock its corresponding spring in an extended position, butwill also operate to release the other spring in the manner described tobring about an actuation ot' the gate mechanism, as will be readilyunderstood. The links 49, to which reference has already been brieiiymade, connect, respectively, with pull-bars 58 59. These latterpull-bars are for the same purpose as are the pull-bars 50 and 51; butit will be observed they extend in an opposite direction, wherefore theyare intended to be actuated by the contact mechanism lying in anopposite direction from the gate, as will be readily understood.

Proceeding now to a description ofthe contact mechanism, which operatesautomatically to actuate the mechanism just described, the contactmechanism is most clearly illustrated in Figs. 6,'7, and 8. It should besaid that this contact mechanism is actuated by the Yflange or' a wheelupon the first car in the train, which is of course usually thelocomotive, and this contact mechanism, as was stated, comprises twosets substantially similar, which sets are located at some distance fromthe gate, and this distance will be determined by the period duringwhich the gate is intended to be closed before the train passes and alsoby the lengths of the trains which usually These plates are adapted tobe engaged by the periphery` oi the iange ot' the car-wheel anddepressed, and, as stated above, an arrangement of mechanism is adoptedin connection with them which enables one ot' them when depressedl by awheel to depress automatically the other plate. Thus in Fig. 8 a trainpassing in the direction ot the arrow would depress the plate 60, andthis plate as it descended would cause the plate 61 to descend. As theplate 60 descended it would actuate its corresponding pull-bar 59; butthe depressing of the plate 61, caused by the plate 60, would notactuate the pull-bar 58, which pull-bar is connected with the plate 61,however, in the same manner in which the pull-bar 59 is connected withthe plate 60. It will be observed that the plate which is inclined mostadvantageously for contact with the flange is the plate first moved bythe wheel, and the automatic depressing of the succeeding plate isdesirable and perhaps necessary in order to prevent damage to themechanism from the nature ot' the contact which would be made by theliango of the wheel with the extremity of the succeeding plate near thepoint 62x. The construction of these plates and the mechanism actuatedby them will be now described. Near their extremities the plates areprovided with longitudinal guiding-openings 63, through which pass studs64, mounted in suitable cross members 65, and the extremities of theplates may be curved slightly upwardly, as indicated. Near their innerextremities the plates are provided, respectively, with lugs 66, towhich are attached, respectively, links 67 68, the latter ot' whichisprovided with an oflset exten sion 69, wherefore it constitutes alever which is pivoted at 70 to a slide 71, which is vertically guidedin a frame 72, the construction being identical for both of the plates69 and 61. Each of the slides 71 is provided with a lugl 73, to whichAare attached links 74, connectedwith a bell-crank lever 75, which bellcrank lever is pivoted to the Frame at 76, as indicated, so that it isadapted to move in a substantially vertical plane, its other arm beingconnected with links 77 and 78, as shown, the link 78 being at its outerextremity connected with a link 79, which last link is connected with abell-crank lever 80, pivoted to the frame at 81, so that it moves in ahorizontal plane with the link 79, and these two bell-crank levers 8Oare connected, by means of short chains 82,V respectively, with the pullrods 58 and 59. The other contact-plates, represented, respectively, by83 and 84, are connected by a similarmechanism respectively with thepull-rods 50 and 51. Between IOO IIO

IIS

the two slides 7l a bell-crank lever 85 is mounted upon the frame 72,and links 86 connect it, respectively, with the lower extremities of'the extensions 69, and other links 87 are attached at the same point andare connected with springs 88, the extremities of which springs areattached to lugs 89, carried by the under sides of the contact-plates GOand Gl. From this construction it should appear that the springs 88 areadapted to maintain the contact-plates normally in an elevated position,in which they are shown in Fig. 8. New suppose the flange of a wheel hascome in contact with the upper side of the plate 60. This contactdepresses the plate, the outer extremity of which is projectedoutwardly, so that the upper ends of the slots 63 approach the studs 64.At the same time the slide 7l corresponding to this contactplate isdepressed, and as it descends it actuates the bell-crank lever 75,affecting' the springs 33 and 34 in the manner which has been described;but as it descends the link 86 descends with it, which rocks thebell-crank lever 85 in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 8, andthis rocking of the link 85 moves the more distant lever G8, so that thecontact-plate 6l is moved outwardly and downwardly, so that it toobecomes depressed. likewise with the contact-plate but this movement ofthe eontaet-llilates does not affect the other slide 71. Hence it cannotaffect or operate its corresponding' pull-rod 58. New, of course, whenthe direction in which the wheel approaches is opposite to that supposedthe mode of operation of this entire mechanism is reversed, rthecontact-plate 61 being first depressed, so that it actuates its pull-rod58 and depresses automatically the contact-plate GO without affectingthe pullrod 5f).

The mode of operation of the entire mechanism may be briefly outlined asfollows: Suppose now that the gate is in its normal or open position,which will be understood to mean that it extends across the track.Suppose now that the train approaches in the direction of the arrowsshown in Fig. 8. The contact-plate 60 will be depressed by the Aflangeof the wheel in the manner described, depressing the slide 71 andactuating the pullrod 59, so that 'it releases the spring 34 in a mannerwhich has already been described. As this takes place the spring 33 islocked in the extended position in which it is shown in Fig. 6. Thecontraction of the spring 34 ac- -tuates the rod 22, which throws thegate into the position in which it is shown in Fig. 2 to allow the trainto pass. Moreover, as the contact-plate 6() is depressed it operates todepress the contact-plate 6l without affecting its correspondingpull-rod 58, wherefore the spring 33 does not become released, and thegate therefore remains in a fixed position. Now as the remaining wheelsof the train pass successively over these plates they simply depressthem successively without in any way affecting the arrangement of themechanism in connection with the springs 33 and 34. When the train haspassed the gate a sufficient distance, the contact plate 83 is thendepressed, operating its corresponding pull-rod 51, so that the spring'33 is now released and by its contraction through the draw-bar 2loperates to return the gate to its former position; but actuating thepull-rod 5l extends once more the spring 34, which is lockedautomatieally, as before, in the extended position, wherefore themechanism is set again so that the spring 34 when released will throwthe gate again for the train to pass. Depressing the contact-plate 83automatically depresses the contact-plate 84 without, however, affectingin any manner its corresponding pull-rod 50, for the reason set forth.

The spring-releasing mechanism, which was only briefly touched upon inthe paragraph preceding, operates in this manner: Then the pull-rod 59is actuated, it extends the spring by means of one of the levers 47, anda link 54 leads across from this lever, connecting with a bell-crank 53,which bell-crank by means of the chain 57 draws down the locking-plate40, so as to release the catch-ball 42, removing the catch-ball from thenotch 42 in the manner described.

In order to allow pedestrians to pass through the gate when disposed tocross the path, the extremities of the guards 4 are formed into a frame90, which is mounted upon a vertical pivot 91, a member 92 being carriedthereby, projecting toward the post and attached to a spring 93,wherefore the frame 9() normally constitutes an extension ofthe guard.The arrangement, it will be observed, is such as to enable these frames90 to swing outwardly from the track when the gate is in the position inwhich it is shown in Fig. 2.

Thile I have shown in the accompanying drawings the preferred form of myinvention, it will be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise form shown, for many of the details may be changed in form orposition without affecting the operativeness or utility of my invention,and I therefore reserve the right to make all such modifications as areincluded within the scope of the following` claims or of `mechanicalequivalents to the structures set forth.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is#

l. 1n a railway-gate, in combination, guards adapted to extend acrossthe railway or the roadway, springs adapted to move said guards inopposite directions, members adapted to be engaged by passing trains,mechanism actuated by said members for independently extending saidsprings, means for normally maintaining at least one of said springs inan IOO scribed.

2. In a gate of the class described, in combination, guards adapted toextend across the railway or the roadway, springs adapted to move saidguards in opposite direction, means actuated by an approaching train forextending either oi.' said springs, means for locking a springsoextended against contraction, and means also actuated by the train forreleasing either of said springs, substantially as described.

3. In a gate of the class described, in combination, guards adapted toextend across the railway or the roadway, springs adapted to move saidguards into either of these positions, pull-rods, means whereby saidpull-rods may extend said springs, means for locking said springs in anextended position, means vwhereby said pull-rods may release saidsprings, and members actuated by a passing train and adapted to controlthe operation oi said pull-rods, substantially as described.

4L. In a gate of the class described, in combination, guards adapted toextend across the railway or the roadway, springs adapted to move saidguards in opposite directions, catolibars connected with said springs,lockingplates, means whereby said locking-plates and said catch-bars mayengage to maintain said springs in an extended position, members adaptedto be actuated by a passing train, and means operated by said membersfor extending said springs and moving said lockingplates, substantiallyas described.

5. In a gate of the class described, in combination, guards adapted toextend across the railway or the roadway, springs adapted to move saidguards between the two positions thereof, catch bars connected with saidsprings, locking-plates, means whereby said locking-plates may engagesaid catch-bars, means for restraining said locking-plates, meansadapted to be actuated by a passing train, and means actuated therebyfor extending said springs and moving said lockingplates, substantiallyas described.

6. In a gate of the class described, in combination, guards,contact-platesinclined in opposite directions and adapted to bedepressed by the iiange of a car-wheel, mechanism connecting one of saidmembers with said guards, other mechanism connecting the other of saidmembers with said guards, means whereby the depression of one of saidmembers may actuate said guards, and means whereby depressing said lastmember may depress the remaining member, substantially as described.

7. In a gate of the class described, in combination, guards, a pair ofcontact members adapted to be depressed by a passing car, slides adaptedto be depressed respectively by the depression of said contact members,mechanism connecting said slides with said guards,

and means whereby the depression of one of said contact members maydepress the other of said contact members without aiecting the slidecorresponding thereto, substantially as described.

8. In a gate of the class described, in combination, guards, contactmembers adapted to be depressed by a passing train, slides connectedwith said contact members, mechanism connecting said slides with saidguards, a member connecting said slides, said member being adapted-to beactuated when one of said contact members is depressed, and meansactuated 'by said member for preventing the depression of the secondslide, by the second contact member, substantially as described.

9. In a gate ot' the class described, in combination, guards, contactmembers adapted to be depressed by a passing train, slides connectedtherewith and adapted to be depressed by said contact members, mechanismconnecting said slides with said guards, a bell-crank lever between saidslides, mechanism connecting said bell-crank lever with said contactmembers, wherefore the depression ot the second slide bythe secondcontact member is prevented, substantially as described.

10. In a gate of the class described, in combination, guards, contactmembers adapted to be depressed by a passing train, slides, leversconnecting said contact members with said slides, and mechanismconnecting said levers, whereby the depressing ot' the second slide bythe second contact member is prevented, substantially as described.

11. In a gate of the class described, in combination, guards, contactmembers adapted to be ,depressed by a passing train, means for `guidingthe same longitudinally, slides therebelow, levers connecting saidcontact members with said slides, a third lever connecting said levers,and mechanism connecting said slides with said guards, substantially asdescribed.

12. In a gate of the class described, in combination, guards,contact-plates, means for guiding the same longitudinally, leversconnected therewith, slides carrying said levers, wherefore thedepressing of one of said contact members may depress its correspondingslide, a third lever connecting said levers, and springs normallyretaining said contact members in an elevated position, substantially asdescribed.

13. In a gate or' the class described, in combination, guards, contactmembers adapted to be depressed by a passing train, means for yguidingsaid contact members longitudinally, slides, levers carried thereby andattached to said contact members, mechanism connecting the lowerextremities of said levers, and springs constraining said levers tomaintain said Contact members in an elevated position, substantially asdescribed.

14. In a gate oil the class described, in combination, oppositely-inclined contactplates IOO IOS

IIO

adapted to be depressed by a passing train, means for guiding saidcontact-plates longitudinally and parallel with the track rail, slidesvertically movable therebcneath, substantially vertically disposedlevers carried by said slides and connected with said contactplates, abell-crank lever between said slides, links connecting the saine withthe lower eX- tremities of said levers, springs restraining said leversand attached to said contact-plates, guards at the railway-crossing, andmechanism connecting said slides with said guards, substantially asdescribed.

l5. In a gate of the class described, a guard, a movable extensionpivotall y attached to said guard near the outer extremity thereof, and

a helical spring disposed substantially7 longitudinally in the saineplane with said guard and connecting said guard with said extension.

16. In a gate of the class described, in combination, a guard, anextension pivotally attached thereto and having a rearwardly-extendingarm, and a helical spring attaching to said arm and connecting the samewith said guard to maintain said extension in substantially the sameplane with said guard.

1n witness whereoil l have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

JACOB VALTHER.

fitnessem v E. E. SHARPE, FRED VIESENER.

